Sri Lanka’s Community Health Service marks its centenary

The expansion of the service to cover every village in the country has been achieved. 

• The successful nationwide expansion of the Medical Officer of Health (MOH) office system can be cited as a significant development in this sector
• Through community-based prevention measures, the dengue mortality rate has been successfully reduced to 0.05%

The contribution made by Sri Lanka’s community health service has been instrumental in the advancement of the country’s health sector. Originating in 1926 with the Kalutara area as its hub —marking the establishment of the first health unit in Asia — it subsequently evolved into the community health service.

Spanning the period from its inception to 2026, it boasts a proud history of over a century. The national ceremony commemorating the centenary of the community health service falls 

on July 21.

The country’s community health service is a programme implemented under the leadership of Public Health Officers. The successful nationwide expansion of the Medical Officer of Health (MOH) office system can be cited as a significant development in this sector. Prioritising disease prevention, this service primarily addressed the community’s health issues in a holistic manner. A significant milestone achieved during this century-long period was the expansion of the service to cover every village in the country. The services provided at the village level through those Medical Officer of Health offices are important.

Through community-based prevention measures, the dengue mortality rate has been successfully reduced to 0.05%—the lowest in the world—and special focus is being placed on making Sri Lanka free of dengue-related deaths by 2030. The discussions held in this context cover efforts to prevent suicide by promoting mental health, as well as programmes designed to foster well-being within schools, families, and communities. Attention is also focused here on minimising risks to health and livelihoods posed by climate change, floods, droughts, and weather fluctuations, as well as on overcoming the challenge of ensuring access to clean water, safe food, and sanitation facilities, and creating a healthy environment within the country.

Marking this centenary, Dr. Vindya Kumarapeli, President of the College of Community Physicians of Sri Lanka, states that local health authorities will pay special attention to the subject of well-being, with the aim of highlighting its importance and fostering greater understanding and interest in it.

The inaugural ceremony is scheduled to be held on July 21 at 10:00 a.m. at the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall (BMICH) in Colombo. President Anura Kumara Dissanayake will attend the event as a special guest, joined by Health Minister Nalinda Jayatissa, local and foreign invitees, and experts in the health sector. A health exhibition showcasing the century-long journey of the community health service will also be opened on this day.

With a special focus on the future direction of community health services and their modern operational processes, the Conference on Community Health Services (2026) is also scheduled to be held in Colombo from July 22 to 24. Health experts representing various countries and institutions such as the World Health Organisation (including its South-East Asia Regional Office), the World Food Programme, the World Bank,  and the Asian Development Bank are participating in the conference. 

Heads of the Ministry of Health and other relevant local institutions, as well as medical specialists, professionals, subject-matter experts, and health activists, are participating in this programme. Furthermore, it has become essential to advance Sri Lanka’s community-oriented health sector by integrating modern global 

medical technology.